Wirebound box assembling machine



March 12, 1968 R. B. FITCH 3,372,713

WIREBOUND BOX ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed June 5, 1965 5 Sheets-$heet 1INVENTOR.

ATTOR S March 12, 1968 R. B. FITCH 3,372,713

WIREBOUND BOX ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed June 3, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet-ZMarch 12, 1968 R. a. FITCH WIREBOUND BOX ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed Jun.3, 1965 5 Sheets-$heet S March 12, 1968 Filed June 5, 1965 WIREBOUNDBOX ASSEMBLING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 12, 1968 R. B. FITCH3,372,713

WIREBOUND BOX ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed June 5, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet S m02z4 6 0 Z44 Z 240 234M g 238 5 3,230

3 232 2240 L O v 348 225 55 ZZZ 2/8 J 2/2--- United States PatentOfiiice 3,312,713 Patented Mar. 1 2, 1 $68 3,372,713 WIREBGUND BGXASSEMBLHNG MACHINE Robert E. Fitch, Lake Valhalla, Montville, N.J.,assignor to Stapling Machines Co., Roclraway, NJ. Filed June 3, 1965,Ser. No. 460,976 6 Claims. (Cl. 140-413) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Aself-adjusting machine for closing wirebound boxes with interengagedloop fasteners, having movable actuator assemblies with loop bendingmembers resiliently mounted thereon on pivotal axes located so that saidloop bending members move first downwardly to engage the top of the box,then forwardly to the closing corner of the box, then downwardly alongthe front of the box to bend the outer loop downwardly around saidcorner and the inner loop around the outer loop and downwardly againstthe side of the box.

This invention relates to a machine for completing the assembly ofwirebound boxes (which term is used herein to include crates and othertypes of wirebound containers), and particularly wirebound boxes of thetype known in the trade as Du-All boxes.

Such boxes are formed from wirebound box blanks having three sidesections and one end-forming section foldably secured together bybinding wires extending longitudinally of the box blank and secured tothe several sections by staples driven through the face material andinto the reinforcing cleats which extend longitudinally along thelateral edges of each of the sections. When the box blank is foldedaround to set up the box, the three side sections form the front, bottomand rear sides of the box, while the cleats at each end of theend-forming section complete a rectangular cleat framework at each endof the box, and the end-forming panels of face material stapled to saidcleats are bent downwardly to close the ends of the box, thereby forminga five-sided, opentopped box which may be subsequently closed by aseparate lid. The ends of each of the outside binding wires are providedwith loop fasteners, and when the box is set up, the two loops at theopposite ends of each of the binding wires come into opposition with oneanother at the closing corner of the box. The loops on the front sectionof the box, being somewhat narrower than the loops on the end-formingsection of the box, are inserted through the latter and bent downwardlyagainst the front of the box to hold the box in properly assembledrelation.

The present invention provides a machine for receiving boxes of this andsimilar types which have been partially assembled by folding the boxblank and threading the inner loop fasteners on the front side of thebox through the mating outer loop fasteners on the top or end-formingsection of the box. The machine is adapted to hold the box in a fixedposition while squaring its sides and pressing the cooperating ends ofthe rectangular cleat framework tightly together, and then close theloop fasteners by bending the outer loops around the closing corner ofthe box and downwardly against its front side of the box and bending theinner loops around the outer loops and downwardly against the front sideof the box.

Two embodiments of the machine are described and shown herein. In thefirst of these, the motive power is supplied by a foot treadle. In thesecond embodiment, power is supplied by an electric motor which alsodrives an intermittently operating conveyor which transports the boxessuccessively into proper position at the box assembling station withinthe machine, and then transports the assembled boxes out of the machine.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an end elevational view of a foot-powered machine embodyingfeatures of the invention, with the box-squaring and loop-bendingelements of the ma chine being shown in full lines in the retractedposition they occupy between box-assembling operations and in brokenlines in the positions they assume at the completion of a box-assemblingoperation.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the machine shown in FIGURE 1, as viewedfrom the side appearing at the left in that figure, showing the threadedfastener loops at the closing corner of the box, in position to be operated upon by the loop-bending elements of the machine.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the mechanism appearing in.the upper portion of FIGURE 1, showing in full lines and broken linesthe loop-bending elements and associated parts in successive stages of aloop-bending operation.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the mechanism shown inFIGURE 3, on the same scale as FIGURE 3, taken in the directionindicated by arrows 4-4- in that figure.

FIGURE 5 is an isometric view of the type of five-sided, open-toppedwirebound box upon which the machine is particularly adapted to operate,with its fastener loops threaded in preparation for closure by themachine.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary isometric view of a corner of thebox after the fastener loops have been closed.

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of a motor-driven machine,constituting an alternative embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary elevational view, at en larged scale, of theopposite side of the machine of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is an end elevational view of the machine, on the same scale asFIGURE 8, as viewed from the end appearing at the right in that figure.

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, at enlarged scale,taken on the line ill- 1h of FIG URE 9.

As may be seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, the footoperated machine is supportedon a framework including corner posts 2 at its rear side R and somewhatsmaller and shorter corner posts 4 at its front side F, these beingcross-braced in their central portions by horizontal members 6 and attheir lower ends by smaller horizontal members 8. The two rear cornerposts 2 are cross-braced centrally by a horizontally extending anglemember 10 Whose horizontal flange 12 is secured to the upper surfaces ofthe horizontal members 6 and whose vertical flange is secured to theinner edges of the rear corner posts 2, while their lower ends arecross-braced by a vertically positioned plate 14.

Adjustably supported on the rear flanges of the corner posts 4 at thefront side of the machine are a pair of vertically spaced, horizontallyextending bracing rods 16 which engage the adjacent side of the boxduring the loop-bending operation. The horizontal members 6 pivotallysupport the lower ends of a generally vertically positioned, H-shapedpresser frame 18 formed of angular side members 20 having secured neartheir lower ends a pair of block members 22 which are pivotally mountedon a horizontal rod 24 extending between the horizontal members 6 andsecured thereto by bolts 26. The side members 29 of the H-shaped presserframe have secured to their inner flanges a pair of blocks 30 to Whoseouter faces are secured the edges of the flanges of an angle member 32,whose inclined upper surface is positioned to engage the adjacent lowercorner of the box simultaneously as the front side of the box is engagedby a presser bar 35 spaced thereabove and adjustably fastened to theinner flanges of the side members 20. As subsequently described, at thecommencement of the loop-bending operation, the H-shaped presser frameis rocked inwardly so that the presser bar and angle member 32.respectively engage the front side and lower corner of the box and pressits rear side against the bracing rods 16, thereby squaring the box andholding it in position for the loopbending operation.

Secured to the upper surface of horizontal members 6 by bolts 38 are apair of spaced, horizontally extending angle members between whichextend a pair of horizontal rollers 40, which rotate freely on shafts 42secured to the vertical flanges 44 of rails 36. The rollers not onlyfacilitate movement of the containers into and out of the machine butalso serve to properly position the box longitudinally for theloop-bending operation since, as shown at P in FIGURE 2, they are sospaced that the lower corners of the box can fit between them to allowthe box to rest on the upper edges of the vertical flanges of the rails36.

Secured to and projecting upwardly from the upper ends of the sidemembers 20 are extension rails 46 having at their upper ends cap members48 with downwardly inclined projecting ends. A short distance below thecap members 48, the edges of the extension rails 46 are provided withinclined cam surfaces 50, shown more clearly in FIGURE 3, whichcooperate with an actuator assembly now to be described.

As shown in FIGURES 1, 2, and 3, and particularly FIGURE 3, the rearcorner posts 2 support at their inner faces near their upper ends a pairof bearing members 52 in which the ends of a horizontal shaft 54 arejournaled. Fixed on shaft 54 adjacent the bearing members 52 are a pairof arms 56 which extend forwardly and upwardly and which at theircentral portions have openings through which are supported opposite endsof a horizontal rod by means of screws 68. Rotatably mounted thereon isa pair of rollers 64 which are held endwise by washers 66 and screws 68.The rollers 64 are in alignment with the aforementioned inclined camsurfaces 50 of the extension rails 46. At their outer ends, the arms 56support another horizontal shaft 70, which extends between their innerfaces and is secured to the arms 56 by screws 72 extending therethroughand threaded into the ends of the shaft 70. Rockably mounted at each endof shaft are the loop fastener bending assemblies. Since the twoassemblies of this illustrative machine are substantially similar, itwill suffice to describe only one of them. As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4,the loop fastener bending assembly comprises a body member 74 rotatablymounted on the shaft 70 adjacent the inner face of the arm 56 and heldendwise by a collar 76. As best shown in FIGURE 4, the body member 74has a projecting therefrom an integral arm 78 whose front end ishorizontally beveled and has secured to it one of the faces of a platemember 30, whose bottom edge is vertically beveled, so that thegenerally horizontal loop-engaging bar 82 secured thereto is slightlyinclined inwardly and downwardly relative to the closing corner of thebox for a purpose hereinafter described. Projecting from the oppositeside of body member 74 is an integral, upwardly projecting finger 84 towhich is hooked one end of a tension spring 86 whose other end is hookedabout a screw 88 threaded into and through a tab 90 projecting inwardlyfrom the upper edge of arm 56. Secured to the lower edge of arm 56opposite tab 90 is another tab 2 which serves as the lower stop for thehead of a bolt 94 threaded through arm 78 and held fixed by a lock nut96. The upper stop for the head of the bolt 95 is provided by the lowerend of the bolt 88, which is adjusted and secured by a lock nut 98 topermit arm 78 to move through a short angular arc during a loop-bendingoperation, thereby allowing limited movement of the loop-engaging bar 82relative to the arm 56, as indicated in full and broken lines in FIGURE3.

Referring again to FIGURES 1 and 2, a foot treadle 100 having a footplate 102 secured to the beveled end portions of the upper faces of apair of spaced arms 104 whose opposite ends are secured to a horizontalshaft ltl whose ends are journaled in bearings I03 mounted at the innerface of the aforementioned transverse plate 14. The arms 164 arecentrally joined by a horizontal rod which has rotatably mounted at itscenter the adjustable end 62 of a connecting rod 60 whose upper end isrotatably mounted on the aforementioned horizontal rod 55. Thus adriving connection is provided between the foot treadle 16-0 and theactuator assembly for the box-squaring and loop-bending elements.

The foot treadle 160 is normally held in raised position, in which it isshown in FIGURES l and 2, by a pair of tension springs 114 whose upperends are hooked through openings near the lower ends of the inwardlyprojecting flanges of the side members 2d of the presser frame 18, andwhose lower ends are hooked about bolts 116 threaded into the ends ofrod 110. The tension springs 114 further serve to maintain the pivotallymounted presser frame 18 and its associated elements in their normal,generally vertical position indicated by full lines L in FIG- URE l, andalso, through connecting rod 60, to maintain the arms 56 of the actuatorassembly in their upper position, shown in that figure, in which therollers 64 engage the underside of the downwardly inclined projectingends of the cap members 48. To absorb the shock of an abrupt return ofthe actuator assembly to this upper position, for example due to theslippage of the operators foot off of the treadle 100, there is provideda tension spring 118 whose upper end is hooked to a strap 120 pivotallyattached to the shaft 55 and whose lower end is hooked through an eye atthe upper end of a vertical rod 122 whose lower end is threaded in thehorizontal flange 12 of the angle member 10 and secured by lock nuts124.

FIGURE 5 shows a five-sided, open topped box of the general type withwhich the present invention is particularly adapted to be used, althoughit also may be used for assembling or closing other types of containersincluding conventional six-sided wirebound containers. The box of FIGURE5 is shown with the inner loop fasteners A at its front side A threadedthrough the outer loop fasteners B of the top side B and bent outwardlyto the slight extent necessary to maintain the box in folded form. Thebox-folding and partial assembly operation is performed at a stationremote from the machine, and the box is conveyed to the machine by meansof a roller conveyor or the like, as indicated at D in FIGURE 2. Theoperator of the machine guides the box over the roller 40 at the inputend of the machine and to a point where the bottom of the box restsbetween the rollers 40, as shown at P in FIG- URE 2. The operator thensteps on the treadle 100, forcing it downwardly against the resistanceof the tension springs 114, pulling down the connecting rod 60 androcking the actuator assembly downwardly. During the first portion ofsuch movement, the rollers 64 move inwardly against the adjacent edgesof the extension plates 46, thereby causing the H-shaped frame 18 andits associated elements to rock counterclockwise to the positionindicated by broken lines L in FIGURE 1. This movement causes theinclined upper surface 34 of angle member 32 and the presser bar 35respectively to engage the adjacent bottom corner A and front face A ofthe box, clamping the box against the bracing rods 16 at the oppositeside, thus squaring the box and holding it in position for theloop-bending operation.

As the arms 56 continue downwardly, as indicated by the arrow G inFIGURE 3, the loop-engaging bars 82 move downwardly into engagement withthe top of the box adjacent the rear side of the inner fastener loop A,pressing the ends of the cleats at the closing corner of the box tightlytogether. As the downward movement of the arms 56 continues, the arms 78rotate counterclockwise relative to the arms 56, against the resistanceof the springs 86. The arms 78 are so shaped and their axes of rotationare so located that the arc of movement of the loop-engaging bars 82 hasan upwardly directed vertical component and an outwardly directedhorizontal component, so that their resultant movement, as indicated bythe arrow H, is generally horizontal until the bars 82 clear the cornerof the box, whereupon the further pivotal movement of the arms 78 isstopped by engagement of the heads of bolts 94 with the lower ends ofbolts 88. As the downward movement of the actuator assembly continues,the loop-engaging bars 82 move generally downwardly in fixed relationwith the arms 56, as indicated by arrow J in FIGURE 3. This resultsfirst in bending the outer loops B downwardly against the front of thebox and then bending the inner loops A downwardly around the bights ofthe outer loops and against the front of the box, thus tightly closingthe corner of the box, as shown in FIGURE 6. The aforementioned inwardand downward inclination of the loop engaging bars 82 serves to urge theinner loops A inwardly of the outside binding wires and into engagementwith the face material on the front of the box.

The release of the foot treadle 182 allows the springs 114 and 85 toreturn all of the parts to their original retracted positions out ofengagement with the assembled box, so that it may be removed from themachine and the next, partially assembled box may be placed in positionfor the next cycle of operation.

FIGURES 7, 8, 9, and show another embodiment of the machine, which isgenerally similar except that it is motor-driven and includes means formechanically conveying the partialy assembled boxes into proper positionat the assembly station within the machine, and for conveying the fullyassembled boxes out of the machine.

As may be seen in FIGURE 7, this motor-driven machine includes, inaddition to the elements previously illustrated and described, anelongated bed assembly, generally designated B, which includestransverse members 126 and 128 adjacent opposite ends of the mainmachine frame, these members having projecting laterally therefrom shortextension plates 138 which are bolted to the upper flanges of thehorizontal framing members 6. As best shown in FIGURE 7, the transversemembers 134 and 128 support a pair of longitudinal guide rails 136 and144, the rail 136 being fixed, and its outer end, as shown in FIGURE 7,being supported on a transverse rod 138 whose ends are fixed in blocks14f adjustably mounted on the upper ends of legs 142. The guide rail 144is adjustable to and from the fixed rail 136 to accommodate boxes ofdifferent widths, having attached to its transversely extending forkedsupports 146 which are clamped in the desired position by bolts 148.Guide rail 144 is supported at its right-hand end, as viewed in FIGURE7, by a short, depending leg 150 slidably mounted on the transverse rod138. Secured to the under side of the two guide rails 136 and 1%adjacent their right-hand ends is a transverse member 134 havingadjustably secured to its lower face a forked bracket 152 in whose freeend is received a short stud 154 upon which a freely rotating sprocket156 is secured endwise by a collar 158. As shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, atthe outer end of the bed assembly B, the extension plates 130 support attheir lower faces a pair of depending legs 168 which support the ends ofa stationary transverse shaft 162 on which is rotatably mounted asprocket 164. Trained about these two sprockets 156 and 164 is aconveyor chain 244 whose upper run is slidably supported in a shallowchannel 132 (best shown in FIGURE 9) which rests upon the top of thetransverse members 126, 128 and 134. This chain 244 is intermittentlydriven by the mechanism now to be described.

As may be seen in FIGURES 8 and 9, the machine includes a base frameworkcomprised of a pair of spaced,

longitudinally extending channel members 166 and 168 mounted ontransverse members 170 and 172 which in turn are bolted to the footflanges of the aforementioned horizontal framing members 8. As shown inFIGURE 8, an intermediate transverse member 174 is fastened to thebottom faces of the channel members 166 and 168 to support the innerends of two pairs of spaced bar members 176 (best shown in FIGURE 9)whose outer ends are supported on the upper face of the transversemember 172. These bar members 176 are spaced to provide adjustablesupport for an electric gear motor 178 which is clamped thereon by bolts180.

As shown in FIGURE 8, the drive shaft of gear motor 178 has keyedthereon a sprocket 186 about which is trained a chain 184 which is alsotrained about a large diameter sprocket 188 keyed on the inner end of adrive shaft 182. Rotatably attached to the outer face of the lattersprocket 188 by a bolt 190 is the rod end 62 of the aforementionedconnecting rod 60 whose upper end is connected to the shaft 55 of theactuator assembly. As best shown in FIGURE 9, the drive shaft 182 isjournaled in bearings 192 mounted on the upper faces of the channelmembers 166 and 168 and has keyed upon it a crank 194 (FIGURE 8) whichrotatably supports near its outer end a roller 196 which bears againstthe lower face of a cam plate 198 fastened to the inner face of anelongated arm 200 whose right-hand end, as viewed in FIGURE 8, ispivotally mounted on a stud 202 supported in the upper portion of theouter face of a plate 204 projecting upwardly from the outer face of thechannel member 166.

As the drive shaft 182 rotates, in the direction indicated by the arrowA in FIGURES 7 and 8, the roller 196 moves in a circular path, and byengagement with the cam plate 198 imparts a vertical rocking motion tothe arm 200. The outer end of the arm 2% is pivotally attached by a bolt2% to a pawl rod 208, which is urged in a counterclockwise direction, asviewed in FIGURE 8, by a tension spring 210 one end of which is hookedabout a stud 212 projecting from the inner face of pawl rod 288 and theother end of which is hooked about a stud 214 projecting from the innerface of arm 200. As best shown in FIGURES 9 and 10, the pawl rod 208carries adjacent its upper end a stud 216 which projects outwardly fromeither side thereof and rides along hardened slide plates 242 extendinginwardly from the edges of a pair of side plates 218 and 220, boltednear their upper and lower ends to the opposite ends of side plates 228and 218, respectively. The upper spacing member 224 is bolted to thedepending flange of the transverse frame member 6, while the lower endof the side plate 218 is secured to the outer face of the channel member166.

Extending through the side plates 218 and 222 near their lower ends is ashort shaft 226 which is journaled in bearings 228 secured to the outerfaces of the side plates, this shaft 226 extending beyond the bearing onside plate 218 and having keyed thereon a sprocket 230, which is inalignment with the aforementioned sprocket 16 iand which also has theconveyor chain 24-4 trained about it. Keyed to shaft 226 at a pointsubstantially midway between the side plates 218 and 220 is a smalldiameter sprocket 232 aligned with another sprocket 234 of similar sizewhich is rotatably supported on a stationary shaft 236 extending betweenthe upper portions of side plates 218 and 220. A chain 238 trained aboutthese sprockets 232 and 234 has mounted thereon at uniform intervals aseries of ratchet blocks 240 which are slidably supported on verticalrails 241 fastened to the inner faces of the side plates 218 and 220(FIGURE 10). These ratchet blocks 240 are positioned so that theslightly beveled upper end of the pawl rod 208 will contact their bottomfaces during the upward strokes of the reciprocal motion of the pawlrod.

In FIGURES 8 and 10, the arm 200 and pawl rod 208 are shown in theirlowermost position by full lines P The length of the vertical strokes ofthe upper beveled end of the pawl rod slightly exceeds the spacingbetween the lower faces of the adjacent ratchet blocks 240 on chain 238.This causes the pawl rod to advance the chain 238 stepwise in incrementsequal to said spacing and assures that the downward stroke of the pawlrod will carry it to a lower position, shown in the full lines P in FIG-URE 10, at which its beveled upper end is slightly below the nextsucceeding ratchet block 240 and in position to contact the bottom faceof the latter block during the first portion of its next upward stroketo the upper position shown in broken lines P These incremental advancesof the chain 238 impart intermittent, counterclockwise rotation to shaft226 and its attached sprocket 23%, thereby also causing step-wisemovement of the conveyor chain 244 through increments equal to theuniform spacing of a series of push blocks 246 thereon.

The spacing of these blocks 246 is slightly greater than the length ofthe boxes, and the blocks are provided with beveled cap members 248 tofacilitate placement of the boxes between the blocks for pushing of theboxes thereby into and out of the machine.

As will be understood from the foregoing description, energizing of thegear motor 178- imparts continuous clockwise rotation to drive shaft182, thereby causing the box-squaring and loop-fastener-bendingmechanism, generally designated L, as well as the arm 2% and pawl rod208 to operate continuously in synchr onism. Thus, the conveyor chain244 will be driven stepwise, moving theboxes one by one into thebox-assembly station opposite the continuously operating mechanism Lwhich operates upon the box during the interval when it is stationary atsaid station, thereby squaring the box and closing its threaded loopfasteners. Then, as the mechanism L moves out of engagement with theassembled box, the conveyor chain 244 indexes another step to move thebox out of machine and to move another partially assembled box into thebox assembly station.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the presentinvention provides a practical machine for completing the assembly ofwirebound boxes at a rapid rate of production. However, it should beemphasized that the particular embodiments of the invention describedherein and shown in the accompanying drawings are intended as merelyillustrative of the principle of the invention, and not as restrictiveof the scope thereof, which is limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A wirebound box assembling machine comprising a frame, a box supportmounted on said frame for supporting partially assembled wirebound boxesfor movement into and out of said machine, loop bending mechanismmounted on said frame for bending previously threaded fastener loops ata corner of a wirebound box in said machine, said loop bending mechanismincluding an actuator assembly mounted on said frame and being generallyvertically movable toward and away from said corner, loop bendingmembers pivotally mounted on said actuator assembly and having loopengaging portions which project downwardly in position to engage theouter loops adjacent said corner on downward movement of said actuatorassembly, yieldable means resisting rotation of said loop bending memberrelative to said actuator assembly, said loop bending members havingtheir edges adjacent said corner shaped to extend around said corner andtheir pivotal axes being located above the top of said box and inwardlyof said corner, so that as said actuator assembly moves downwardlytoward said corner, said loop engaging portions will engage the top ofsaid box adjacent said corner, causing said loop bending members to berotated relative to said actuator assembly against the resistance ofsaid yieldable means through an are having an upwardly directed verticalcomponent and a horizontal component directed toward said corner wherebysaid loop engaging portions will move generally horizontally until theyclear said corner, and then will move downwardly along the side of saidbox,

first bending said outer loops around said corner and then bending theinner loops around said outer loops and downwardly adjacent said side,and drive means for driving said actuator assembly.

2. A machine as described in claim 1 in which the surface of said loopbending members which engages said loops is inclined inwardly relativeto said side of said box so that, as said inner loops are bentdownwardly, they are also urged inwardly of the outside binding wires onsaid side.

3. A machine as described in claim 1 in which stop means are provided onsaid actuator assembly for engaging and adjustably limiting the relativepivotal movement of said loop bending members, whereby when said loopengaging portions reach said corner of said box, said loop bendingmembers simultaneously engage said stop means to stop their pivotalmovement relative to said actuator assembly and, as said actuatorassembly continues downwardly, said loop bending members are forceddownwardly in fixed relation with it.

4. A machine as described in claim 3 wherein said actuator assembly ispivotally mounted for arcuate movement about an axis located generallyhorizontally outward from and slightly below said corner whereby.duringthe generally downward movement of said actuator assembly and said loopbending members in fixed relation to one another, said loop bendingmembers will move in paths having a slight, inwardly directed horizontalcomponent, thereby bending said inner loops downwardly and inwardlyagainst the front face of said box.

5. A machine as described in claim 1 in which said box support includesa pair of rollers rotatably mounted on axes extending transversely ofthe path of said boxes into and out of said machine, said rollers beingspaced so that the ends of a box in an assembly station opposite saidloop bending mechanism will fit between them with only slight clearanceto allow the box to drop downwardly upon a supporting surface below theplane of the upper surfaces of said rollers, whereby said box is heldagainst endwise movement at said assembly station.

6. A wirebound box assembling machine comprising a frame, a box supportmounted on said frame for supporting partially assembled wirebound boxesfor movement into and out of said machine, a box bracing member fixedlymounted on said frame at one side of said box support to engage andbrace one side of a box supported thereon, box assembling mechanismmounted on said frame for bending previously threaded fastener loops ata corner of each of said wirebound boxes, said box assembling mechanismincluding an actuator assembly mounted on said frame and being generallyvertically movable toward and away from said corner, a box engagingmember movably mounted on said frame at the side of said box supportopposite said box bracing member, said box engaging member beingmechanically coupled to said actuator assembly for movement insynchronism therewith, such movement of said box engaging member causingit to engage a side of a box on said box support and compress said boxagainst said box bracing member to square said box and hold it inposition for a loop bending operation, loop bending members pivotallymounted on said actuator assembly and having loop engaging portionswhich project downwardly in position to engage the outer loops adjacentsaid corner on downward movement of said actuator assembly, yield ablemeans resisting rotation of said loop bending member relative to saidactuator assembly, said loop bending members having their edges adjacentsaid corner shaped to extend around said corner and their pivotal axesbeing located above the top of said box and inwardly of said corner, sothat as said actuator assembly moves downwardly toward said corner, saidloop engaging portions will engage the top of said box adjacent saidcorner,

causing said loop bending members to be rotated relative to saidactuator assembly against the resistance of said yieldable means throughan are having an upwardly directed vertical component and a horizontalcomponent directed toward said corner, whereby said loop engagingportions will move first generally horizontally until they clear saidcorner and then downwardly along the side of said box, first bendingsaid outer loops around said corner and then bending the inner loopsaround said outer loops and downwardly adjacent said side, and drivemeans for driving said actuator assembly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,313,855 8/1919 Bauwens 140-932,955,623 10/1960 Rice 140-93 3,032,074 5/1962 Rice 14093 3,056,43510/1962 Hayward et a1 l4093 3,221,778 12/1965 Riker 140-93 CHARLES W.LANHAM, Primary Examiner. E. M. COMBS, Assistant Examiner.

